YOU CAN STAND

Matthew 4:1–11

BIG IDEA

Jesus stood where Adam fell, where Israel failed, and where we stumble—and because Jesus stood, you can stand too.

KEY PHRASE

Adam fell. Israel failed. Jesus stood.

And because Jesus stood, you can stand too.

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever noticed how temptation seems to hit hardest right after a spiritual high?

You go to camp.

You worship.

You make decisions.

You surrender things to God.

You feel closer to Jesus than ever.

Then you come home.

And suddenly:

The temptation comes back.

The struggle comes back.

The battle comes back.

Many Christians think:

"If I really loved Jesus, temptation wouldn't be such a problem."

But Matthew 4 tells a different story.

Immediately after Jesus' baptism...

Immediately after the Father says,

"This is My beloved Son..."

Immediately after the Spirit descends...

Jesus enters the wilderness.

The battle begins.

And tonight we're going to discover something incredible:

Adam fell.

Israel failed.

But Jesus stood.

And because Jesus stood...

You can stand too.

Let’s read Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 4:1–11 NIV

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

I. THE WILDERNESS IS PART OF THE JOURNEY Matthew 4:1-2

Matthew 4:1–2 NIV

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

Before we talk about temptation, we need to talk about the wilderness.

The wilderness of Judea is a hot, barren, and desolate area that extends west from the Dead Sea almost to Jerusalem, and is some thirty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide.

George Adam Smith described it as an area of yellow sand and crumbling limestone. It is an area of contorted strata, where the ridges run in all directions as if they were warped and twisted. The hills are like dust heaps, the limestone is blistered and peeling, the rocks are bare and jagged, and often the ground sounds hollow (cited in William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], 1:63).

Nowhere in Palestine could Jesus have been more isolated or in less comfort.

We also learn from Mark that: (Mark 1:12 ESV)

Mark 1:12 ESV

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

The “immediately,” of course, is sequential to the baptism. As soon as Jesus’ baptism was completed, His forty-day wilderness experience began.

Mark’s use of ekballō (“impelled”, “drives out”) indicates the necessity of Jesus’ temptation.

Although the temptations were given by Satan, they were a part of God’s perfect plan for the redemptive work of His Son.

Satan met Adam in the paradise of Eden, where everything good was provided and nothing harmful existed.

Adam lost his battle with Satan while in the perfect situation.

The Second Adam met Satan in the desolate, forbidding wilderness, where “He was with the wild beasts” (Mark 1:13) and was without food for forty days (Luke 4:2).

Yet what the first Adam lost in an ideal environment the Second Adam won back in a terribly imperfect environment.

What better proof can there be that spiritual and moral failure are not caused by circumstances but by the character and response of the one who is tempted?

Because every believer eventually ends up there.

Not a physical wilderness.

A spiritual one, just like Jesus

A season where:

You're struggling.

You're tired.

You're confused.

You're tempted.

You're hurting.

Notice who leads Jesus there.

The Spirit.

The wilderness is not proof God has abandoned you. (v. 1)

Matthew 4:1 NIV

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Jesus wasn't lost.

Jesus wasn't forgotten.

Jesus wasn't outside God's will.

The Spirit led Him there.

Tony Evans writes:

"God was not on the defensive. He was on the offensive, demonstrating the superiority of His Son."

MacArthur notes:

From God's perspective, it was a test. From Satan's perspective, it was a temptation.

Same event.

Different purposes.

Application

Some students think:

"If God loved me, life would be easier."

Matthew 4 says:

Sometimes God's will leads straight into the wilderness.

Not because He hates you.

Because He's shaping you.

The wilderness often follows spiritual victories. (vv. 1-2)

Matthew 3:

"This is My beloved Son."

Matthew 4:

"If You are the Son of God..."

Jesus goes directly from baptism to battle.

From affirmation to temptation.

From mountaintop to wilderness.

Freedom Night Application

Don't be surprised when temptation comes after camp.

Don't be discouraged when temptation comes after a breakthrough.

The battle doesn't mean you've failed.

It means you're in the fight.

Transition

But notice what Satan attacks first.

Not Jesus' power.

Not Jesus' strength.

His trust.

2. SATAN ATTACKS TRUST Matthew 4:3-7

Matthew 4:3–7 NIV

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Every temptation begins with the same question.

It's the same question from Genesis 3.

The same question from Matthew 4.

The same question today.

Can God really be trusted?

Satan tempts Jesus in the form of three ways:

First was for Jesus to distrust the providential care of His Father and to use His own divine powers to serve Himself.

The second was to presume on the Father’s care by putting Him to the test.

The third was for Him to renounce the way of His Father and to substitute the way of Satan.

Can God provide? (vv. 3-4)

Matthew 4:3–4 NIV

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

"Command these stones to become bread."

Jesus is starving.

Forty days without food.

Satan's temptation is deeper than bread; it is about serving self

MacArthur notes:

The issue isn't bread. The issue is trust.

Satan is essentially asking:

"If God really loves You, why are You hungry?"

Jesus' Response

"Man shall not live by bread alone..."

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3

Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Israel complained.

Jesus trusted.

Israel failed.

Jesus stood.

Application

Students ask:

If God loves me, why am I hurting?

Why am I lonely?

Why didn't He answer my prayer?

Why is this struggle still here?

Temptation often begins when suffering causes us to question God's goodness.

Can God be trusted without proof? (vv. 5-7)

Matthew 4:5–7 NIV

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Satan takes Jesus to the temple.

And then something shocking happens.

Satan quotes Scripture.

The devil knows Bible verses.

The issue isn't knowing Scripture.

The issue is obeying Scripture.

Satan's Temptation

"Make God prove Himself."

Jump.

Force God's hand.

Demand evidence.

Jesus' Response

"You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."

Israel demanded signs.

Jesus trusted.

Israel failed.

Jesus stood.

Key Statement

Faith doesn't force God to prove Himself. Faith trusts what God has already revealed.

Transition

But Satan isn't ultimately after trust.

He's after something deeper.

3. SATAN WANTS THE THRONE Matthew 4:8-10

This is the climax.

Everything has been building to this moment.

Satan offers shortcuts. (vv. 8-9)

Matthew 4:8–9 NIV

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

"All these things I will give You..."

Jesus will receive the kingdoms.

The Father already promised them.

The issue isn't the destination.

The issue is the shortcut.

MacArthur summarizes the temptation:

The crown without the cross.

Glory without suffering.

Victory without obedience.

Application

Students face this temptation every day.

We want:

Success without sacrifice.

Popularity without character.

Blessing without obedience.

Victory without surrender.

Satan still offers shortcuts.

Every temptation is ultimately about worship. (vv. 9-10)

Matthew 4:9–10 NIV

“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

For the first time Satan reveals what he really wants.

Worship me.

As before, Jesus’ reply was from Scripture, and is again from Deuteronomy. Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only,’ ” The tempter’s last proposal was so preposterous that Jesus dismissed him with Begone, Satan! The devil had stepped beyond all bounds in proposing such unutterable wickedness. Because Satan’s present power is only by God’s permission, when the Son commanded him to leave, Satan had no choice but to obey. Therein Christ demonstrated the very sovereign power Satan wanted Him to misuse!

Tony Evans writes:

"In the end, Satan wants your worship."

The climax isn't bread.

The climax isn't kingdoms.

The climax is worship.

Illustration

Every throne only has room for one king.

Every heart only has room for one king.

Something sits on the throne:

Popularity

Relationships

Sports

Success

Self

Or Jesus.

Jesus' Response

"You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."

Israel bowed.

Jesus refused.

Israel failed.

Jesus stood.

Transition

And because Jesus stood, Matthew ends with hope.

4. JESUS STOOD Matthew 4:11

Matthew 4:11 NIV

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

"Then the devil left Him..."

Three words summarize the entire passage.

When Jesus said, “Begone,” the devil left Him, because he had no choice. The Lord gives all of His children the power to resist Satan. “Resist the devil,” James assures us, “and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

As he did with Jesus, Satan will not long stay away from us; but with every temptation God “will provide a way of escape” (1 Cor. 10:13). For every temptation Satan leads us into, a way out is provided by the Father.

Jesus stood.

Adam fell. Jesus stood.

Adam:

Garden

Abundance

Failure

Jesus:

Wilderness

Hunger

Victory

The first Adam brought humanity into ruin.

The Last Adam begins reversing the curse.

Israel failed. Jesus stood.

Israel:

Complained

Tested God

Chased idols

Jesus:

Trusted God

Obeyed God

Worshipped God alone

Everything Israel failed to be.

Jesus is.

We stumble. Jesus stood.

Satan tempts us in the same basic ways he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.

First, he will try to get us to distrust God’s providential care and to try to solve our problems, win our struggles, and meet our needs by our own plans and in our own power.

Second, he will try to get us to presume on God’s care and forgiveness by willingly putting ourselves in the way of danger—whether physical, economic, moral, spiritual, or any other.

Third, he will appeal to selfish ambitions and try to get us to use our own schemes to fulfill the promises God has made to us—which amounts to trying to fulfill God’s plan in Satan’s way.

1 John 2:16 NIV

For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

Jesus still stands.

Here's the good news.

The point of Matthew 4 isn't:

"Try harder."

The point is:

Look at Jesus.

Hebrews 4:15 NIV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

"We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..."

He understands temptation.

He understands weakness.

He understands struggle.

Not because He studied it.

Because He experienced it.

CONCLUSION

Let's go back to where we started.

Adam entered a garden.

Adam fell.

Israel entered a wilderness.

Israel failed.

You and I face temptation every day.

And if we're honest… We've stumbled too.

But Matthew 4 introduces us to a different kind of King.

A King who trusted the Father.

A King who refused shortcuts.

A King who would choose the cross.

A King who stood.

Adam fell.

Israel failed.

Jesus stood.

And because Jesus stood… You can stand too.

Not because you're strong enough.

Not because temptation disappears.

Not because you've figured everything out.

But because the same Savior who defeated Satan in the wilderness now lives in His people through the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

We can have victory over temptation only by resisting in the way that Jesus resisted, by holding with complete obedience to God and His Word.

Jesus endured temptation to the very limit of Satan’s power, and He resisted to that very limit. He did not in the least degree allow temptation to develop into desire, much less into sin (cf. James 1:13–15). He did not think the matter over or give it any consideration. He simply stood firmly in His Father’s will and said no!

We find help against temptation, just as we find help for everything else in the Christian life, by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2).

A hurdler soon learns that if he looks at the hurdles as he runs, he will trip and fall. From start to finish he looks only at the goal, and when he does that the hurdles are cleared in stride as each one is encountered. Keeping our eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope of conquering temptation and faithfully running “with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

Freedom is not the absence of temptation.

Freedom is refusing to bow.

And because Jesus stood, You can stand too.

RESPONSE TIME

Some of you need salvation.

You've been trying to fight sin without the Savior.

Come to Christ.

Some of you need repentance.

You've put something else on the throne.

Tonight is the night to surrender it.

Some of you are exhausted.

You've been fighting temptation and feel defeated.

Remember:

Temptation is not proof you've failed. It's proof you're in a battle.

And the King who stood in the wilderness stands with you today.

Adam fell. Israel failed. Jesus stood.

And because Jesus stood, you can stand too.